Massage device



sept. s, 1959 C. J. WAGNER MASSAGE DEVICE Filed Feb. 8. 1956 nited States Patentiiice Patented Sept. 8 1959 MASSAGE DEVICE y Carman J. Wagner, DaytonalBeaclx,".Fla.

i Application'February`8,11956, Serial No. 564,254

Claims. :(Cl.tlf2833) This .invention relates to .massaging ydevices and more particularly to amassage vdevice comprising a vibratory pillow and Ipalletalseful intreating large vareas of the human body.

A general object of'the inventionlis .toprovide a convenient, self-contained, versatile massage device, with which a Wide Variety of vibratory\massage.treatments'are obtainable for substantially any part of the1body.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth withparticularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both asjto `its organization and method of operation, jtogether with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be 'understoodby reference to the following Vdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partially broken awaylperspective view of a device in accord` with this invention taken toward a rear corner` of the device;

Fig. 2-is a rear elevation, partially-broken .awayand with `therear wall of `the motor .compartment removed;

1Fig..3 is a partially sectionalizedrear detail rview,.on an enlarged fscale, showing `a .resilient `mount :for .the motor; and

Figs. 4, V5 and 6 are views v.showing thedevice, on respective reduced scales,.in various'modesy of usefor .therapeutic treatment.

As shown in VF ig. .1, ,the device comprises .a palletbody portion .designated Aand arpillow orzrnotorhousinglportion B, and more specifically includes lan elongated .flat pallet Sor `panel 'member 1, rectangular in shape, :having a motor Zlattachedthereto by resilientmountsf, themotor overlying a rear zend portion 1i 'of the tpallet. A :respective .eccentric Weight -5 .is attached .to each .end of -the motor shaft 6. A rigidfpillow .member 7'has1its forward edge 8 ;meeting pallet memberilzforwardly 'of r the motor, and .the pillownnember extends from itsiforwardledge 8 curvedly upwardly and rearwardly to overlieboth the end portion --4 .ofthe ;pallet Vmember and the motor 12y mounted thereon. 2 v Y Pillow member 7, 'together withaa pairrof Iside walls, suchas wall-l9, and with atremovable rear :wall-10, vforms a hollowmotor housing structurecomprisngfinotorchamber T11. 'The sidewalls, pillowzmember and pallet-memberpare suitably-secured to onevanother as VSby gluinglor othersuitable means,.there'by tofforrnfagunitary assembly. Rheostat. y12 is mountedron wall 9 within the compartment 1.1 andfconrprisesza control knob .13 disposed externally of1thehousin`g. TheUrheostat isrelectrically connected to themotor forechanging thes'peed thereof, power vbeingv provided/for the `motor through electric cord r4lil'.

The whole exposedfupper surface 15 ofthe pallet member is padded with Ya pad or cushion 16 preferably of sponge rubber, a thickness o'f about l inch being satisfactory. Thesponge rubber-padding *also `extends over the .whole exposed .forward and upper. surface of pillo-wl member? asl-seen. at -1-7. v

.Resilientsupport -membersunderlie' endfportions off-the pallet member. -In the lspecific construction-'shown square or rectangular blocks :18 and 19 Vare shown fdisposed under corner portions 20and 21 at opposite ends of one side of the pallet member and, `as seen at 22, the padding 23 4which .covers the exposed undersurface of the pallet also underlies the support members at the ends or corners of the pallet. The. supports 18 and 19may comprise sponge rubber material and mayhave upper and lower surfaces of about one or two square inches andmay be about 1/2 inch to l inch in height. If a material firmer than sponge rubber-is used for the supports, a somewhat smaller size or greaterheight may be required, but it is preferred not to use a material softer than sponge rubber. In the specific construction shown,.the supports at the forward end of the pallet member, such as support 1.9, are one inch squarey and onehalf inch high, while the rearV end supportsincludingsupport .18, have across section-vof .two squareinches and are one inch high.

'The padding preferably extends around the side edges 24 and forwardedge 25 of the pallet member, andthe whole outer surface of the padding is preferably covered with upholstery material 26.

The back or 'rearward `end of the motor housing `is covered by a detachable wall member 10, held in place byscrews 27, and comprising .va-relatively thin sheet 28 of plywood or the like, encased in upholstery material 29 and including a window 30 in which a perforated metal plate or screen 3-1 is set. The function of `the wall member 10\is to complete theencasing of the motor and rheostat, to improve the appearance and, with window 30, to provideventilation for the motor and rheostat.

Pallet .1 maycomprise ya rectangular sheet of plywood approximately 3%; inch in thickness and, in any event, ,it should be formed of a rigid material suitable for .transmitting vibrations. Pillow member 7 may be of plywood of .about 1A inch thickness.

.Fig 2 yshows motor 2, having eccentric weights, such as weight 5,.carriedron opposite .ends of its shaft, :the motor being mounted bymeans of its mounting flange or base 32 vthrough support members ,-3 to the :upper surface V15 of pallet member lat the rear end portion 4 of the .pallet member. flhe mounting devices are screwed `by `screws 33 to the pallet member and include bolts .34 engaging the mounting. flange 32.

`Rheostat 12 is seen to'havea. shaft .Mextendingtthrough Wall 9 and carrying control .knob 13 .externally of `the upholstery material 26 at the side of the pillow structure B. It 4will be-seenthat structure comprises a housing for nrotor2 and rheostat 12.

Resilient support member'llS, having acounterpartlat the otherrear corner of thepallet member, is preferably secured toithepallet by gluing and is located within and above theloweror -bottompadding 23. The interposition will be more readily apparent from the later discussion:

A bulge similarto bulge 137 iis `provided below eachof the four corners ofthe fdevice, including-bulge "-35 'Vati the left :rear corner under support 36.

Fig. 3 shows in .detail `the 'attachment olf-.motor mounting ange 32 to arubber'block 38 by means off'bolt 34,

of -which `the headx39 is embedded in the `rubber block," nut 40 being tightened down on the ilange32. SRbber block. 38` is held. in.l a :cup-like.: metal `meniberi41, of which the lower outwardly turnedflange 42 vis screweditopallet member i1 bymeansof screws 33.

The rubbermounting ofthe motorl decreases the -fnoise produced during operation and .provides a more pleasing vbratory motionof the pallet and pillow .portions ofu thedevice.

InFig 4.the palletlportiou A of .the device .implaced at on'the 'floor with'the device 'in upright position, and

patient 43 is standing flat upon the pallet A. The speed olf the motor, and, accordingly, the strength of the vibrations are adjusted by means of knob 13, and the pallet vibrates. The pallet is supported by the floor primarily on its four corner supporting bulges, such as are shown at 37 and 44. The major portion of the padded undersurface of the pallet is not dampened by floor contact of the bottom pad because all, or almost all, of the support is furnished by the four corner bulges, such as bulges 37 and 44. Depending upon the motor speed, the device may be used as in Fig. 4 to vibrate primarily the feet, to vibrate the feet and legs, or to vibrate substantially the entire body of the patient 43.

may kneel on the pallet A, and if desired may bend at the waist to place the forehead on pillow B. Alternatively the patient may lie across the pallet either face down or face up, and with the pallet extending under the legs, 7 under the hips, under the chest or under some other part Fig. 5 discloses the device in inverted position with the pallet portion A resting on its forward edge 2S and on its pillow portion B. When in the position shown in Fig. 5, the normally upper major face of the pallet faces downwardly toward the iioor, and the pillow portion B, which projects laterally away from the pallet portion of the device, in a downward direction, becomes a rest projection with its exposed padded remote wall portion 45 constituting a floor-engaging rest portion. They device is, accordingly, supported on the floor on the rest portion 45 and on the extreme forward end edge 25 of the pallet portion. The rest portion 45 of the device comprises, when the device is in the position of Fig. 4, for example, the upper wall portion of the pillow or motor housing structure B.

and rearwardly from said forward edge to overlie said one end portion and said motor, resilient support members underlying the end portions of said pallet member, and foam rubber padding overlying the exposed upper surface of said pallet and pillow members and underlying said support members and the whole exposed undersurface of said pallet member.

2. A vibratory massage device comprising a flat rigid panel having upper and lower faces and comprising an operative body portion extending forwardly from an end portion, a vibratory motor attached to and disposed above said upper face at said end portion, a pillow member joined to and vibrated with said panel and curving over With the device in the position of Fig. 4, the patient said motor at said end portion, andpadding covering the exposed surfaces of said pillow member and the upper and lower surfaces of said panel member.

3. A vibratory massage device comprising a ilat rigid panel having upper and lower faces and comprising an operative body portion extending forwardly from an end portion, a vibratory motor attached to and disposed above said upper face at said end portion, a pillow member joined to and vibrated with said panel and curving overl said motor at said end portion, and padding covering the exposed surfaces of said pillow member and the upper and lower surfaces of said panel member, and a plurality of small resilient supporting blocks spacedly positioned under said panel.

- 4. A vibratory massage device comprising a flat rigid panel having parallel opposite rectangular -major faces,

With the device in the Fig. 5 position, the patients area of the pallet pad in damping engagement with they oor. When the device is used as shown in Fig. 5, the support projections, such as projection 37, do not interfere with the patients comfort, being located in portions usually not in contact with the patient and being padded, also, so as to be soft even when in contact with the body.

Fig. 6 shows the device in use in position corresponding to that of Fig. 4 but with the patient reclining, resting her head upon the padded or cushioned surface of pillow B-and with pallet portion A extending under the shoulders and back of the patient. It will be apparent that the patient could, with the device in the position shown, sit upon pallet A instead of lying thereon. Many other positions for the device, and for the patient receiving the massage, will suggest themselves to provide a wide range of usefulness of the device.

While only certain preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, many modications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

`l. A massaging device comprising a rigid elongated at pallet member, a motor disposed above and having its frame attached to one end portion of said pallet, said motor having an eccentrically weighted shaft, a rigid pillow member having a forward edge fixed to said pallet member, said pillow member extending curvedly upwardly said panel having a rearward end portion and a forward end edge, a rigid hollow housing structure projecting laterally away from said panel and attached to one of said major Ifaces at said rearward end portion, said panel including a major body portion extending from said housing structure to said forward end edge of the panel, said structure having a rest portion of limited area spaced outwardly from said one major face of said panel for iloor contact when said device is rested on the Hoor with said one face of said panel facing downwardly toward the floor and with said forward end edge of said panel resting on the floor thereby to dispose said panel upwardly inclined from said forward end edge to the housing-structure-supported raised rearward end portion thereof, means for vibrating said panel comprising a motor disposed within said housing structure and attached to said panel, pad-V ding on said one major face covering at least said forward end edge, external padding on at least said rest portion of said housing structure, and padding substantially completely covering the other said major face of said panel.

5. A vibratory massage device comprising a flat rigid panel having parallel opposite rectangular major faces, said panel having a rearward end portion, a rigid hollow housing structure projecting laterally away from one of ,Y said major faces of said panel and attached to said one of said major faces at said rearward end portion whereby said panel and housing structure comprise a unitary assembly, said panel having a major body portion extending from said housing structure and terminating in a forward end edge of the panel remote from said housing structure, said housing structure having a wall portion of limited area spaced laterally outwardly of said one major face, means for vibrating said assembly comprising a motor disposed within said housing having a mounting portion attached to said assembly and having an unbalanced rotating member, and padding externally covering said outwardly spaced limited area wall portion of said housing structure, said end edge, said other major face and said body portion of said one major face.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,234,770 Meyer Mar. 1l, 1941 2,425,655 Tompkins Aug. l2, 1947 2,659,365 Lewis Nov. 17, 1953 2,792,830 Dacey May 21, 1957v 

